Håkon Sigurdsson wins land and fishing places in Hålogaland
DN 2/580 · 23 June 1404 · Steig
What the letter says
At Steig on 23 June 1404 lawman Olav Skulesson in Hålogaland makes known that Håkon Sigurdsson presented letters and witnesses concerning the lands his father Sigurd Havtoresson had bought from the heirs of Lady Ingebjørg Petersdatter. Tideke Vistenaker had held the property for a time, but his representative had no evidence. Twelve lawrightmen awarded the property to Håkon until better evidence could be presented, and the lawman confirmed the judgement.
The letter in modern English (excerpt)
To all men who see or hear this letter, Olav Skulesson, lawman over Hålogaland, sends God's greeting and his own and makes known: When 1404 years had passed from the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the honourable and wellborn man Håkon Sigurdsson came before me and the law court at the law thing. He presented his letters and evidence concerning the lands that Sir Sigurd Havtoresson had bought from the heirs of Lady Ingebjørg Petersdatter, and which Tideke Vistenaker Henriksson had held and claimed for a time. Håkon showed us an open letter from Einar Eindridesson, lawman in Gulating and Bergen, with his whole and undamaged hanging seal, in which he had referred the case to me. Håkon also brought forward his summons witnesses. They swore that he had had Sigurd Olavsson summoned to the law thing, and Sigurd had full and lawful authority from Tideke Vistenaker. Two reliable witnesses also swore that Sigurd had said that he had no evidence or document for the lands, and that no one would answer in the case. Håkon demanded that evidence be presented on Tideke's behalf if any existed, but no one came forward with anything. Håkon then demanded again that I appoint judges in the case. I then named twelve men of the law court: Janes Olavsson, Absalon Nikolasson, Olav Håkonsson, Sigvat Sigurdsson, Pål Torgilsson, Tore Arnbjørnsson, Jon Arnesson, Guttorm Olavsson, Sigurd Helgesson, Guttorm Eysteinsson, Halldor Tordsson and Olav Arnsteinsson. They examined the case carefully.
Original text (excerpt)
Ollvm monnvm þeim sem þetta bref se edr heyra senda Olafr Skvlason lavgman yfir Halogaland kvediv gvds ok sina kvnnigt gerandi ath þa er lidith var fra higath bvrd vors herra Jesv Christi þvsvndrvth ara fiogr hundruth ok fiogr ar kom aa laugþingi firir mik ok lavgrettvna heidrligr man ok velboren Hakon Sigrdson ok tedi sin bref ok skilriki er han hafdi vm þer jardir sem herra Sigrdr Hafþorson hafdi keyft af erfingivm frv Jngibiargar Petrs dottvr ok Tidke Vistenakr Henrikson hafdi haft ok hefdath
Background
Håkon Sigurdsson was the son of Sigurd Havtoresson and Ingeborg Erlingsdatter, and thus heir to the Bjarkøy family, which had large properties in northern Norway. A lawman was judge over a law district, and lawrightmen were farmers who sat as judges at the thing. The case was first sent from the lawman in Bergen and Gulating to the lawman in the north, because the land lay in Hålogaland. An endorsement on the back of a copy says that it concerned lands and fishing places in Trondenes, and such fishing places were valuable because stockfish was Norway's most important export. The name Vistenaker suggests German origin, but the letter says nothing more about who Tideke was. The judgement applies only until better evidence is found, which was common in property cases.
People: Håkon Sigurdsson, Sigurd Havtoresson